ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION OF NERVE REGENERATION IN THE RAT - FUNCTIONAL-EVALUATION BY A TWITCH TENSION METHOD

The effect of D.C. electrical fields on in vivo nerve regeneration fol lowing rat sciatic nerve transection was assessed by a toe-twitch tens ion method for motor recovery. Two groups for baseline comparisons rec eived either a nerve transection and a neutral battery implant or a ne rve crush and no implant. Two treatment groups each received a nerve t ransection and an implant delivering either cathodal (-10 mu A) or ano dal (+10 mu A) current via electrodes positioned on either side of the transection site. The contralateral nerve was exposed but not given a lesion. The functional recovery was assessed at weekly intervals by c omparing the amplitude and area of the twitch tension curves on both s ides, expressed as a ratio (index of motor recovery = IMR). By 28-35 d ays postoperative (dpo) the crushed/untreated group had mean IMR value s not significantly different than the preoperative values. The transe cted/neutral group appeared to have the worst recovery throughout the study. Compared to these two groups, both the cathodal and anodal trea tment groups with a transected nerve showed intermediate IMR values, b ut by 63 dpo the group differences were less. These results indicate t hat following a nerve transection lesion steady D.C. electrical fields may temporarily enhance the,early functional recovery of motor nerve regeneration compared to conventional nerve repair alone.